Badgers and Bees

billh

Well-Known Member
Have just read the article in the BASC Magazine about the reduction in Bee numbers, everything from pesticides to the lack of flowers gets mentioned but not the Badger.
I have seen a lot of Bee and Wasp nests dug out so far this year. This has been going on for years and must be having a dramatic effect upon the wild Bee/Wasp population of whom do the vast majority of pollination.
Its relatively easy to replace Honey Bees colonies that die but wild ones its near impossible.
Why is it that nobody has written papers on this or even mentioned it?
How many dug out Bee and Wasp nests have you seen?
 
bees and wasps are not cute and cuddly or fluffy!75%of the population runs a mile when they hear a buzz,when theres no strawberries in tescos they might look into it and have a badger cull,
 
During early summer the local lanes have badger digs everywhere, rabbit nests, wasps and bees all are dug out. They are certainly having an impact, the whole badger scene is out of control!
 
Badgers don't normally bother honey bees, my bees are less than a quarter mile from a set. The honey bee's biggest problem is the varroa mite spreading disease, feral/wild bees don't thrive and will generally fail after a few years. Wasps don't pollinate flowers and bumble bees, which are big pollinators, have been living with badgers for millenia.
 
Unlike No1Deer when I was keeping bees commercially badgers certainly were a problem. In certain apiaries the hives had to be kept permanently strapped to the stands all year round otherwise the badgers would have them over!
 
Unlike No1Deer when I was keeping bees commercially badgers certainly were a problem. In certain apiaries the hives had to be kept permanently strapped to the stands all year round otherwise the badgers would have them over!

I bow to your superior knowledge, I've kept bees on this dairy farm for four years without a problem. There are three sets within half a mile that I have seen. I have read of badgers using a hive as a scratching post and knocking them over.

Undoubtedly the farmer has a bigger problem than I have!

Cheers.
 
What about the lack of Hedgehogs the Greenies are moaning about, Badgers eat them.
The strips left around most fields these days are Mc Donalds to Badgers.Wf1
 
Our wasps must be hungry then as they visit flowers, not all types though. Our hedgehogs certainly do not pollinate flowers.
NoIDeer, Bumble Bees have not been living with quite so many badgers for millenia. The number has risen sharply since 1992.
 
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Wasps are accidental pollinaters. If you were reffering to my post I was just making a point about Badgers being a nuisance generally.Wf1
 
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